Organic wine, seems to be springing up everywhere and there seems to be more and more winemakers around the world using the principles of organic farming to produce their wines. They work with nature without the help of artificial or synthetic chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides to grow their grapes, with perhaps the odd sheep or two grazing amongst the vines to keep the weeds at bay creating a natural ecosystem. Some say that…

You either love it or hate fortified wine , in my experience no other option is viable, you either get it or you don’t, basically it’s a bit of a Marmite drink. There is no doubting that sherry causes debate with its many styles from bone dry to cloyingly sweet. This Oloroso which literally translates to Fragrant or scented is somewhere in between dry and sweet. Just before I get into reviewing this bottle here…

As I’ve said in an earlier review of celebrity endorsed wines I’m always a bit sceptical but I must say in this case that scepticism is unfounded, the Botham range of wines in which I have now tasted three, are well made and for the price more than hold there own against similarly priced wines. Sir Ian Botham, as well as being one of England’s all time best cricketers is also a passionate wine lover,…

We all know and love a Rioja but mention Rioja and most people will associate it with Spanish red wine but have you tried the white version from this iconic region of northern Spain. The wine known as Rioja Blanco is primarily made from the Viura (aka Macabeo) grape which has to make up at least 51% of the blend. Other grapes used to name a few, are Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco but…

I recently bought some wine from M&S during their latest ‘Wine Festival’ discount promotion in which they were selling off a large selection of bottles for anything from a few pounds off to over half the recommended price. The wines on offer varied from store to store but if you were lucky enough there were some real bargains to be had. Friends told me that they were finding offers like Chavy Chouet Femelottes white burgundy…

Having been to many ‘Wine Tasting’ events in the past most of them very enjoyable and informative I decided to hold my own such evening and let me tell you I ‘doff my cap’ to the people who organise them and as I found out, it’s not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of preparation from, finding a venue, selecting a theme, sourcing the wines, buying them, researching them, preparing tasting /…

I have to bring to your attention two white wines which I have enjoyed during our recent spell of hot weather. To start with I revisited a Vinho Verde from Waitrose/Majestic that I first tasted a few years ago and then a real gem of a find from the Co op, a quite superb Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (Sovee Bee). The Vinho Verde was a real surprise I will explain why in a moment and the…

Semillon, most widely known and grown in France and Australia. France in particular use it as a integral part of making White Bordeaux. and is the 3rd most planted grape variety in the country behind Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Bit of an acquired taste this with sharp tangy, lemon flavour along with an oiliness akin to some Rieslings. This particular Aussie bottle from Lindeman’s was part of a case I bought from Majestic a few…

The Rueda region of Castilla y Leon in northern Spain produces some fabulously fresh and vibrant white wines and this Verdejo (a classic white grape of the region) from Lidl is no exception and brilliant value at £5.99. The flavour profile for Verdejo is usually fresh and fruity and the ‘La bien Pintá´scores on both accounts. The Verdejo grape is usually harvested during the night when the temperatures are cooler thus retaining the grapes acidity…

‘At last’, I hear you all cry ‘the weather is warming up’, pink drinks start appearing, all kinds of Rosés and even pink gin but in my opinion nothing beats pink fizz, in all its forms including Champagne, English sparkling and especially the much more affordable Cava. Step forward this excellent offering the Cava Vilarnau Rosé Brut Reserva from Barcelona., with its Gaudi inspired designer bottle. This was lively, when poured it was a glass…

A quick round up of four wines this time, I know the weather is nice and chilled fizz, whites and rosé’s should be featuring but I still enjoy a big red even when the sun is shinning. It’s been a good few days for reds and the three I feature I shared with friends who all thought, as did I, that they were very good indeed. Conde San Cristobal – Ribera del Duero 2015 Blend…

What springs to mind when Sherry is mentioned, my guess is memories of that bottle that sits in the sideboard for years only brought out a Christmas when your grandmother fancies a little tipple, served in those awfully old fashioned shaped glasses. Today, it seems everyone is talking about sherry and its many different styles even attracting a younger consumer, suddenly sherry has become cool and trendy. Below is a quick basic summary of the…

At a recent trip to Tuscany we stopped by at the Gattavecchi winery in the Argiano area in south Montepulciano, where we tasted amongst others this Rosso Di Montepulciano. Although it wasn’t the best wine we tasted on our Tuscany tour, it seemed kind of honest and typical of a lot of the wines served at the local bars and on opening this again a few months later it immediately transported me back to this…

Always a bit sceptical about celebrity endorsed wines but in this case the man himself cricket legend Sir Ian Botham is renowned as a passionate wine lover especially the Aussie stuff and was deeply involved with the creation and actual making of these wines working closely with award wining wine makers Nick Badrice, (Chief winemaker Dorrien Estate, Barossa valley) Marty Edwards (The Lane vineyard, Adelaide Hills) and Geoff Merrill (McLaren Vale). There are 3 in…

Fancy a nice white or Rosé ? it may be perfect for those summer evenings sitting in the garden with the sun shining but have you considered a light red wine slightly chilled, maybe a Beaujolais, Pinot noir or how about a Bardolino? Bardolino is an Italian red wine produced around lake Garda in the province of Verona and named after, surprisingly, the town of Bardolino Probably a wine to enjoy young and fresh and…

Back in the summer of 2018, we visited an Organic vineyard ‘Monte Da Casteleja’ situated in the Algarve region of Portugal. We were so impressed with the quality of the wines we had to bring some back and now I’ve just revisited their white (Branco) almost a year on, to see if the wine has developed from what already was a deliciously rich and complex but unusual drink. Winemaker Guillaume Abel Luís Leroux vision for…

A quick review Couldn’t let this bottle from Aldi pass without a quick mention, a lovely Aussie Chardonnay from Clare Valley/Margaret River, full of fresh citrus, tropical fruits and a lick of creamy vanilla. Not particularly cheap at around £11 compared to a lot of Aldi wines but in my opinion worth every penny, this really was a beautiful example of how good Chardonnay can be. A word of warning though this is a full…

“Ladies and Gentleman for tonight’s main event, a head to head contest featuring two Argentinian Malbecs sponsored by Waitrose. In the blue corner and weighing in at 75cl from the Vistalba vineyard Mendoza the ‘Luigi Bosca’ and in the red corner at 75cl and also from Mendoza the ‘Catena’. The fight takes place over two nights, and two evening meals, the winner by knock-out, stoppage or points will be announced at the end of this…

I was recently invited courtesy of Brian Elliot’s Midweek Wines to the ‘Wines of Hungary’ Furmint tasting in London where I was treated to an array of sublime white wines, from bone dry with citrus and zingy minerality, to wines which were a little more intensely oaky including tropical flavours and of course their flagship sweet but still incredibly fresh tasting Tokaji. It’s true to say that I was suitably impressed by the standard of…

A double review this time, two red wines and a real contrast in styles, one a light Cabernet Sauvignon from south-east Australia and the other a heavier but silky Portuguese blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet. Tempus Two – Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 This surprised me, mainly because I didn’t expect it to be a light as it was. Initially very tart with its bright acidity and vibrant fruit flavours, typifying a…